We would like to take the opportunity to respond to some queries that have arisen in relation to the version of Chopin's Op. 69 No. 2 that appears in our Piano Exam Pieces 2015 & 2016, Grade 8 book.

Throughout his life Chopin regularly altered pieces of music, and many different sources (published and otherwise) exist.

This makes it extremely challenging to decide what Chopin actually intended. In fact, some well-accepted versions of his music do not appear to be based on any known reliable source.

Our editorial view is it would be wrong to pick and choose bits of different sources in order to make up a piece, as it would fabricate the composer’s music.

When choosing our edition of Op. 69 No. 2 for Piano Exam Pieces, we had the help of examiners and specialist editors. We decided to opt for an established and reliable source, verified through research.

So the edition we selected as copy text is the second English edition, which is a reprint of the first Polish edition. There is good reason to believe that Chopin supervised this edition, as he was living in Warsaw at the time. This same variant of Op. 69 No. 2 can be found in other publishers’ Urtext editions, most notably the recent (and highly respected) Peters Urtext.

Sign In

Supporting the teaching and learning of music in partnership with the Royal Schools of Music:Royal Academy of Music | Royal College of Music London | Royal Northern College of Music | Royal Conservatoire of Scotland